Stuck In Traffic? Could Be Worse; Tampa Ranks 10th Best To Drive

TAMPA, FL – For residents stuck on the Howard Frankland Bridge during that grueling weekday commute, Tampa Bay’s traffic may seem unbearable.

But, according to the financial website, WalletHub.com, Tampa Bay drivers really don't have it that bad.

According to WalletHub, Tampa ranked No. 10 on the list of best cities for driving.

Residents should count themselves lucky they’re not living in one of the worst cities for driving -- Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Boston, Seattle, San Francisco and Detroit – said WalletHub.

According to AAA, 87 percent of Americans use personal vehicles every day and spend an average of 290 hours on the road each year (the equivalent of a seven-week vacation).

But, when it comes to a choice of wasting time and fuel versus the comfort, flexibility and reliability of hopping into your own car, Americans tend to opt for the latter.

To determine the best and worst cities for driving, WallHub compared the 100 largest cities with 29 indicators of driver-friendliness, including the average price of gas, the state of the city’s road network, driver safety records and even the number of repair shops.

The comparison revealed that, if you want to spend less time driving, consider moving to Greensboro, North Carolina, where residents spend the fewest annual hours in traffic congestion (four hours) per auto commute. That's 25 1/2 hours less than commuters spend driving in Los Angeles where the average annual hours in congestion is 102.

Image via Bridgeweb

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